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Posts Tagged ‘Interval Training’

Fat Loss Interval Training- Tabata Workout

Thursday, July 29th, 2010
WorkoutMuse asked:


Check out this 4-minute interval training fat loss workout using the tabata protocol that you can perform at home or when traveling. This tabata workout features Workout Muse’s blazing hot tabatas mp3 soundtrack available @ www.RapidFatLossCardio.com

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The Crosstrainer-Elliptical Machine is Useless for Fat Loss

Sunday, June 27th, 2010
Craig Ballantyne asked:




If you are using an elliptical-type machine for intervals, then I believe that you are not getting the results you deserve. In my opinion, the elliptical machines are one of the least effective methods for losing fat – just as bad as spinning classes (which I’ll cover in a future newsletter).

Now you might know someone that is uses the elliptical all the time and is lean. But I will be the farm that they can thank their genetics, their strength training, and their nutrition for their results. I have yet to see someone transform their physique with the elliptical trainer. In fact, when someone comes to me with a failing program, I often see them using the elliptical for their interval training. And that’s the first things I change.

The elliptical machine is sneaky, and it fools us three ways. First, you can get your heart rate up really high and easily. Second, you can get a big sweat on. And third, the machine tells you that you have burned an awful lot of calories (even though the calorie counter is likely inaccurate, as was shown on a CBS news report).

So why doesn’t the elliptical work? Because you just don’t do as much mechanical work as you do when you run or cycle. Basically, it’s just easier and less effective. Getting your heart rate up is not the key determinant of fat loss.

Your body is a well programmed machine. It’s ‘wired’ to increase heart rate and breathing as soon as it senses motion (that’s why you start to breathe heavily after taking a single flight of stairs – it’s not just because you are unfit).

The key factor in fat loss is the amount of work done. Until you learn to separate the influence of the two, you won’t be using intervals in the best possible manner.

As fat loss expert Alwyn Cosgrove explains, “The problem is not the elliptical itself — it’s just that it tends to allow/promote momentum (as most people have the resistance too low) from bodyweight alone. So unless you crank up the resistance and actually produce some force and/or MOVE your bodyweight – it’s nothing but momentum. So if you’re not actively using your muscles to produce some sort of force you aren’t burning many calories.”

But even then, I still don’t think using a high resistance level on the elliptical will get you the results you are looking for. Yet despite their ineffectiveness, elliptical machines and the like remain a popular training method. But that’s only due to the human condition – like flowing water, we seek the path of least resistance. We’ll will do anything to get around obstacles rather than doing the real work required to overcome the obstacles. Given the choice, humans always go with the easiest option.

Compare the elliptical to the Stairmaster. Stairmasters are more effective but less popular. Why? Because we’ve found something easier (the elliptical) that still gives us the comfort of a sweat and an elevated heart rate (even if we don’t get the results). And now millions of gym goers pat themselves on the back after flailing around on the elliptical for 30 minutes and thinking they’ve been shedding fat.

Training in your comfort zone is useless. Your metabolic rate will increase when your body is forced to change. The harder and smarter you train, the greater your increase in metabolic rate. That is why you have to do things the right way (the TT way!), to lose fat. As I’ve always said with Turbulence Training, the key to getting results is making your body change. That means using training techniques that demand your body to change. The elliptical will not cause your body to change. It is a waste of time.

So what works better? If you have my TT Reports, you know I recommend the stationary bike. It’s safe, effective, and convenient. You can work at a very high power outage, and that is no illusion. You are doing the work (as long as you are not spinning at a very high RPM – that is another waste of time!).

Of course, you can also use sprinting. But that has a few more risks to it, whether it is done on a treadmill (risk: falling) or outside (risk: muscle pulls – so prepare appropriately).

Some other manly fat loss interval options are sled pulling, Farmer Walks (see photo), pushing heavy objects, wheelbarrow carries, and complexes. I’ll talk more about the exciting fat-shedding potential of lifting complexes in my future reports.

fat loss

Techniques for Fat Loss!

Monday, June 15th, 2009
fat loss
Linda Melton asked:


e most desired and accepted techniques for loosing weight is to go on a weight loss diet. Even though there are numerous types of materials available today on diet and for training the body for weight loss, it may not be the most ideal way to go if you don’t have the help of a dietician or follow your doctor’s advice.

The problem with diet and training weight loss is that it fails to maintain the weight loss permanently. So once the dieting course is completed there is every chance that one may gain all back all the weight loss. This can be hazardous to our permanent health as well.

Training for weight loss

Training for weight loss should ideally start under some supervision of a trained professional. There are many advantages of training weight loss. They are Expert guidance for weight loss. Any possibility of hazard to the body is minimized.

Advantages of training for weight loss are many more than the ones mentioned above, but those benefits are accrued only in the long run and usually not much is accomplished if only done for a short period of time.

Methods of training fat loss

One of the methods of training fat loss used by many people is the use of supplements and drugs. Though the method is very tempting in itself these methods often come with many side effects. And if this is not enough, one can literally become a slave to the use of drugs if not careful.

One of the best ways to loose weight is through interval training for fat loss. It is always imperative to maintain proper diet and exercise regularly during this period but without a system to perform optimal fat burning a lot of efforts might go wasted.

Interval Training for fat loss helps the body by enhancing its capacity to burn the fat faster, resulting in quicker results. This methodology also does not require one to take additional supplements or pills. One can lose weight naturally without running into any risk of side effects.

The best thing about training for weight loss is that it trains our body and cultivates a behavior that helps it burn fat a lot faster than normal. Thereby, this method helps in giving results which are sustainable for long time periods.

It is because of all the above mentioned methods that training fat loss programs are becoming very popular among individuals who are looking to lose some serious weight.



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Top 5 Fat Loss Tips

Sunday, February 8th, 2009
fat loss
Craig Ballantyne asked:


By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

http://www.neusight.com/turbulence.html

Men’s Fitness magazine recently asked me for 3 of my best fat loss secrets. Since most times the magazines just don’t have enough space to run my full tips, I thought I’d give you a more detailed explanation of my secrets here (plus a few extra bonus tips that I didn’t send to the magazine).

Secret #1 – Focus on burning carbohydrate, not fat, during your

fat-loss workouts.

Sounds backwards, right? But not when you look at how I structure my workouts. Remember that Turbulence Training focuses on resistance training and interval training. Both of these use carbohydrate as the main source of energy. So it’s obvious the workout is designed to burn carbohydrates during the training session.

I have no interest in you trying to train in your “target heart

rate zone” for fat burning (aka – the fat burning zone). The whole idea of a fat-burning zone is an over-simplified idea of how the body works during exercise.

Leave the inefficient fat burning zone to the mis-educated

trainers in the commercial gyms (that not surprisingly, also want to sell you a heart rate monitor so you can stay in your “fat

burning heart rate zone”).

If you want to get the most results in the least amount of time,

focus on burning carbohydrates, not fat.

Why do my fat loss workouts focus on burning carbohydrate rather than fat? In order to burn more calories after the workout, that’s why. When you exercise with intervals and heavy resistance training, your body uses more calories in the hours after exercise than it would if you did traditional cardio and lifted lighter weights.

Alwyn Cosgrove calls this ‘afterburn’, and I call it ‘Turbulence’.

By any name it gives you the same results – maximum

improvements in your body composition (helping you lose fat while gaining muscle).

Secret #2 – Use a range of repetitions in your strength training

workouts.

In order to train more muscle fibers and burn more carbohydrates, I have clients use a range of repetitions within the same workout. My workouts now use 6, 8, and 12 reps per set in order to work the muscle the most effectively.

This will burn more carbohydrates and promote as much muscle growth as possible when you are keeping the calories low.

Secret #3 – Use the stationary cycle for interval training.

I choose the stationary bike for intervals whenever possible

because cycling against a resistance can help maintain muscle mass.

Cycling against a resistance also allows you to perform a large

amount of mechanical work, and that is a key determinant of the Turbulence in my training.

But please note: I don’t use low-intensity, fast pedaling

’spinning’ intervals as I’m convinced that the hard, resistance

based intervals are more effective for fat loss. My clients only

cycle against a strong resistance in their intervals.

I really like the bike, but there are many other ways to do

intervals. Use what works for you, but if you are at a plateau, try the bike.

Secret #4 – Increase meal frequency

Okay, so this isn’t really a secret to anyone that has read about

fat loss. But a 2005 study from the American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition showed that eating 6 times per day was associated with eating fewer calories per day, lowering cholesterol levels, and lowering post-meal insulin levels.

Combine an increased meal frequency with an increased protein and fiber intake, and you’ll see your body composition improve rapidly.

If you need more nutrition help, then you’ll love the new

Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women – written by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D.

See below for more details…

Secret #5 – My Synergistic Turbulence Training Workouts

My Turbulence Training Fat Loss workouts are fast becoming the most effective way to burn fat, build muscle, and get lean. The synergistic strength training-interval training workouts are

efficient and effective – getting you in and out of the gym in

under an hour.

Here are some tips that you can use for an advanced training phase

- use these tips for 2 weeks then return to your normal training

schedule:

a) Add 10 seconds to each interval but maintain the intensity

b) Add in some bodyweight circuits (10-20 minutes per day) done in the morning or evening (if you do your regular workout in the AM, do your bodyweight circuits after dinner; otherwise, do the bw circuits first thing in the AM, and then do your regular workout at lunch or later in the afternoon or evening)

If you are advanced, you can use squats, pushups, and bodyweight rows for your circuit.

If you are a beginner, you could use lying hip extensions, modified pushups, and stick-ups.

c) Add an extra set to each exercise in the first superset you do

in each workout.

Again, use these three tips for an advanced fat loss period of two

weeks, then return to a normal training schedule.

But always stick to the best fat loss nutrition plan possible.

If you have any other questions, just let me know.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne

Author, Turbulence Training

P.S. Big Nutrition Announcement!

The Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women – written by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., is ready for you.

Here are just some of the things you’ll learn from Dr. Mohr…

1) How to calculate your calorie needs (p. 6)

2) Calorie recommendations for obese individuals (p.7)

3) The 23 types of sugar (many hidden!) to avoid (p. 9)

4) The 20 whole-grain sources to fuel your fat loss program (p9)

5) Over 60 fruits and vegetables that should be added to your diet (p. 10)

6) The 16 protein sources you should select most often (p. 13)

7) Shocking trans-fat content of 18 common foods – find out which food is the deadliest in terms of fat content (p. 16)

8 ) The 9 Fat Sources you should select most often (p. 17)

9) Dr. Mohr’s 12 Rules for Fat Loss (p. 18)

10) The TT Nutrition Plan for Men (p. 19)

11) The TT Nutrition Plan for Women (p. 23)

12) Bonus Supplement Report: The Truth About Fat Loss Pills (p. 27)



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fat loss interval training

Sunday, February 1st, 2009
cbathletics asked:


http://www.turbulencetraining.com

Visit Turbulence Training to get your FREE sample fat burning workout. Click
here to get started:

http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

And to get access to the #1 weight loss secret of social support and to ask
Craig Ballantyne your weight loss questions, visit the Turbulence Training
Membership site here:

http://www.ttmembers.com

fat loss interval training

Craig Ballantyne from Turbulence Training and TTMembers shows us how to lose fat most effectively with metabolism boosting interval training.

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